Blue Origin postpones second New Glenn launch

The heavy-lift rocket New Glenn did not launch as planned on Sunday evening, our time. US space company Blue Origin cites the weather as the reason.

The launch was cancelled due to weather conditions, "specifically due to the cumulus cloud rule," Blue Origin announced via the microblogging service X via X. The next estimated launch date is Wednesday, November 12. The launch window will open between 8:50 PM and 10:17 PM our time.

Blue Origin had to reach an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) according to its own statements. Due to the current shutdown, the US aviation authority has also imposed restrictions on rocket launches.

According to a report by US online magazine Techcrunch, minor problems with the launch pad equipment also occurred on Sunday. Additionally, a cruise ship came too close to the rocket's flight path.

New Glenn is a two-stage rocket named after US astronaut John Glenn. Development began in the 2010s. It first flew in January of this year.

New Glenn can carry 45 tons into orbit

The heavy-lift rocket is almost 100 meters high and has a diameter of 7 meters. It can transport up to 45 tons into low Earth orbit (LEO) or over 13 tons into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and is intended for both uncrewed and crewed missions, including to other celestial bodies.

The rocket is partially reusable: According to the company, the first stage is designed to complete at least 25 launches. For this, the first stage is supposed to descend in a controlled manner and land on a floating platform. However, this did not happen during the maiden flight in January; the first stage could not be landed. On the second attempt, the booster, named "Never Tell Me The Odds," is expected to land safely.

During its maiden flight, a prototype of the "Blue Ring" spacecraft, which is intended to carry satellites into space later, was on board. The New Glenn will also carry payloads into space on its second flight: For the satellite communications company Viasat, it will carry a technology demonstrator on board. It will also launch NASA's Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission. It consists of two probes that, according to NASA, are intended to investigate how solar wind interacts with Mars' magnetic environment. This is expected to provide insights into the disappearance of the Martian atmosphere.

(wpl)